5 Calming Scents That Promote Relaxation - Goodnet (2024)

Use essential oils to soothe and unwind.

Aug 3, 2022

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Everyone has their own ways to unwind after a stressful day. Some people listen to music or take a walk around the block. But no matter what you do, adding some calming scents into the mix could help you quiet-down and relax, suggested mindbodygreen.

That’s because smell is an important primal sense and has served as a survival mechanism. For example, when you smell smoke it kicks in adrenalin so that you flee. But when you smell cookies baking, it triggers a feeling of comfort.

“The connection between scent and emotion is lightning-fast, which is why aromatherapy [a holistic practice] can be such a powerful tool,” natural skin care expert Sarah Villafranco, MD told mindbodygreen.

Aromatherapy can be used to elicit many body responses from making you more alert to relaxing and de-stressing you. Check out these five calming scents that will help you unwind.

Lavender

The scent of lavender will calm and relax you and might even improve your mood, according to Verywell Mind. That’s why it is used in baby bath products. Lavender contains linalool, a compound that could help to lower your blood pressure and reduce anxiety, according to a study in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice. You can light lavender scented candles or use it in your bath as a way to relax before bed.

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Rosemary

This flavorful herb with a woody scent is also good for your mood. That’s because it can reduce your cortisol – the stress hormone – levels and that could help reduce anxiety. The natural compounds such as rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid that are contained in rosemary also have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. Diffuse rosemary essential oil or use sprigs of fresh rosemary in potpourri to add this stress reducing scent to your home.

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Chamomile

Many people drink chamomile tea at bedtime to calm them and help them sleep. But this pleasant-smelling yellow flower can do much more, according to Healthline. Chamomile essential oil may also be used to help with digestive upset as well as to ease pain and inflammation. You can massage diluted chamomile oil into your skin or use it in a warm bath. But just use a little at a time.

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Jasmine

Jasmine oil has a beautiful floral scent and that’s why it is often found in perfumes but it also can promote a sense of wellbeing. Unlike lavender and chamomile, jasmine oil calms without making you feel sleepy. You can inhale jasmine oil from the bottle or place a few drops on your skin or you can use a diffuser to add the scent to rooms.

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Bergamot

This essential oil comes from bergamot oranges, a hybrid mix of lemon and bitter orange. The oil is derived from the peel of the fruit and is found in perfume and in Earl Grey tea. Bergamot oil has a calming effect, may also reduce anxiety, and help improve mood, according to a2015 study. You can put a few drops of the essential oil on a cotton ball and inhale the aroma two to three times to help relieve anxiety but do not put it directly on your skin if you are going outside because it could increase sun sensitivity.

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Bonnie has dedicated her life to promoting social justice. She loves to write about empowering women, helping children, educational innovations, and advocating for the environment & sustainability.

5 Calming Scents That Promote Relaxation - Goodnet (2024)

FAQs

What are some good calming scents? ›

Best calming scents.
  • Lavender.
  • Roman chamomile.
  • Sandalwood.
  • Cedar.
  • Vetiver.
  • Neroli.
  • Bergamot.
  • Diffuser.
22 Jul 2022

What is the most calming scent? ›

Lavender. Native to the Mediterranean, lavender is perhaps the most widely researched fragrance. Numerous studies confirm its calming, soothing, and sedative effects.

What scent is good for stress relief? ›

Lavender aromatherapy may be recommended to someone experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression. Smelling lavender is also linked with improving pain and inflammation.

What smell makes you happy and relaxed? ›

Lavender is well-documented for its calming effects, even easing insomnia and depression (find out what really happens when you use lavender for stress relief), and jasmine also has been shown to boost moods.

What smells make you feel happy? ›

Scents to make you happy
  • Lavender. The aromatherapy world's queen jewel! ...
  • Jasmine. Those tiny white jasmine flowers have been making humans happy for millennia! ...
  • Neroli. Neroli is like a breath of sweet citrus air! ...
  • Rose. ...
  • Yuzu.

What oil scents are calming? ›

Our Favorite Calming Essential Oils
  • Lavender. Lavender is probably the best-known calming essential oil. ...
  • Rose. Rose is a flower traditionally associated with love and the heart. ...
  • Chamomile. Chamomile is another plant well known for its calming properties. ...
  • Frankincense. ...
  • Bergamot. ...
  • Ylang ylang. ...
  • Jasmine.
13 Apr 2018

Why are some smells relaxing? ›

When you smell something nice, it stimulates your olfactory senses, which then send a message to the brain to relax. This relaxation can, therefore, be great if you are suffering from sleep-related issues. It is believed to pump your senses, soothe your nerves and improve your slumber.

Can smells calm you down? ›

Aromas such as lavender can help to soothe you, she says. “Breathing in that scent takes your mind off of the frustration or the stress you are experiencing,” she says. “As you breathe in and experience the scent, you get out of your head and into the moment.”

What is the most pleasant smell? ›

Vanilla seems to have the most pleasing scent in the world, according to the new study. Researchers tested different smells with 235 people from a variety of backgrounds, many of them from indigeneous populations who have little contact with Western culture.

Which fragrance is best for positive energy? ›

Use essential oils
  • Lemon. The scent of lemon is ideal if you want to uplift your spirit and have a good mood.
  • Peppermint. If you feel tired and tired, consider using peppermint essential oil.
  • Rosemary. It is believed that rosemary can improve your mood.
  • Orange and spearmint. ...
  • Spearmint and rosemary.
1 Feb 2021

What are the best smells in the world? ›

The study included 235 people, who were asked to rank smells on a scale of pleasant to unpleasant. The top two ranked smells were vanilla and peaches. The least pleasant smells were cheese, soy milk, apple juice and foot sweat.

What scent puts people in the mood? ›

Aphrodisiac scents include pumpkin, lavender, vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint, and ginger. Despite some skepticism around the use of aphrodisiacs, studies show that many of these aromas do work — they can be easily incorporated into anyone's fragrance routine.

What are some good smells? ›

30 Best Smells In the World
  • Cookies Fresh Out the Oven. NO EXPLANATION NECESSARY.
  • Melting Chocolate. Because… ...
  • 3. " Boy" Smell. ...
  • Coffee Brewing In the Morning. *In Oprah's voice* HELLOOOO!
  • Grass Right After It's Mowed. Makes you feel like it's summah, summah, summah, tiiime.
  • Bacon. ...
  • Vanilla. ...
  • New Car Smell.
18 Oct 2013

What are the most popular scents? ›

Top 24 Most Popular Home Luxury Scents of 2022
  • Vanilla.
  • Rose.
  • Lavender.
  • Coffee.
  • Coconut.
  • Lemon.
  • Amber.
  • Sage.
4 days ago

What scent of candle is relaxing? ›

Jasmine, lavender, and chamomile are all great options, and they're known for their relaxing properties. If you're not sure which scent to choose, you can always go with a vanilla candle. It's one of the most popular scents and is known for its relaxing and calming effects.

What essential oil is good for fear? ›

Top Essential Oils for Fear
  • Bergamot.
  • Cedarwood.
  • Clary Sage.
  • Frankincense.
  • Grapefruit.
  • Lemon.
  • Neroli.
  • Palo Santo.
1 Mar 2020

What are the 7 basic smells? ›

Scientists have classified odors into 10 basic categories: fragrant, woody/resinous, minty/peppermint, sweet, chemical, popcorn, lemon, fruity (non-citrus), pungent and decayed.

What is a peaceful smell? ›

A common blend for relaxation is lavender and chamomile, which has been found to reduce anxiety and promote sleep. Everyone has their own response to different smells, so trying a few different scents or blends of essential oils can help you find the most relaxing ones for you.

What are the top 10 smells? ›

Do you have a complete list of the most recognizable smells poll?
  • Orange.
  • Cinnamon.
  • Lemon.
  • Tuna.
  • Banana.
  • Crayons.
  • Cheese.
  • Bleach.

What scent puts people in a good mood? ›

Orange, grapefruit, and lemon are all energizing and uplifting scents," says Cynthia LaBonte, aromatherapist and herbalist at Newport Aromatherapy. "We associate citrus with cleanliness. Their top notes go straight up the sinuses to the head and make us feel better, fitter, and even more confident and in control."

What scent clears your mind? ›

Lavender

This oil helps to calm your mind, which helps provide mental clarity. Also, studies show that lavender can affect the nervous system to help with neurological disorders, as well as increase alertness.

What smell do humans like the most? ›

They found that most people, despite coming from different cultures and backgrounds, find vanilla to be the most pleasant smell on the planet more often than not.

Which smell is good for brain? ›

This Japanese study found that diffusing lemon and rosemary essential oils in the morning and lavender and orange essential oils in the evening improved cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients. Lemon was shown to increase typing accuracy in another Japanese study.

What smell brings back some type of memory? ›

Smells have a stronger link to memory and emotion than any of the other senses. You might have noticed that the smell of grass and rubber cleats can bring back the memory of childhood soccer games in starker detail than watching a home movie of one of those games.

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